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Immigration

The overriding impact of immigrants is to strengthen and enrich American culture, increase the total output of the economy, and raise the standard of living of American citizens. Immigrants are advantageous to the United States for several reasons: (1) Since they are willing to take a chance in a new land, they are self-selected on the basis on motivation, risk taking, work ethic, and other attributes beneficial to a nation. (2) They tend to come to the United States during their prime working years (the average age is 28), and they contribute to the workforce and make huge net contributions to old-age entitlement programs, primarily Social Security. (3) Immigrants tend to fill niches in the labor market where demand is highest relative to supply, complementing rather than directly competing with American workers. (4) Many immigrants arrive with extremely high skill levels, and virtually all, regardless of skill level, bring a strong desire to work. (5) Their children tend to reach high levels of achievement in American schools and in society at large.

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Books and Book Chapters

"National ID Systems," Chapter 29, Cato Handbook for Policymakers, 7th Edition (2009).

"Immigration," Chapter 60, Cato Handbook for Policymakers, 7th Edition (2009).

"Immigration," Chapter 63, Cato Handbook for Congress: Policy Recommendations for the 108th Congress (2003).

"Immigration," Chapter 62, Cato Handbook for Congress: Policy Recommendations for the 107th Congress (2001).

"Immigration," Chapter 57, Cato Handbook for Congress: Policy Recommendations for the 106th Congress (1999).

Cato Studies

"Abolish the Department of Homeland Security," by David Rittgers, Policy Analysis no. 683, September 8, 2011

"Answering the Critics of Comprehensive Immigration Reform," by Stuart Anderson, Trade Briefing Paper no. 32, May 9, 2011

"Globalization: Curse or Cure? Policies to Harness Global Economic Integration to Solve Our Economic Challenge," by Jagadeesh Gokhale, Policy Analysis no. 659, February 1, 2010

"Restriction or Legalization? Measuring the Economic Benefits of Immigration Reform," by Maureen T. Rimmer and Peter B. Dixon, Trade Policy Analysis no. 40, August 13, 2009

"As Immigrants Move In, Americans Move Up," by Daniel Griswold, Free Trade Bulletin no. 38, July 21, 2009

[View more Cato Studies]

Articles and Newsletters

"U.S. Immigration Reform Should Focus on Improving the Employment-Based Visa System," by Stuart Anderson, Immigration Reform Bulletin, January 2011.

"Becoming a Citizen: It's Not as Easy as You Think," by Stuart Anderson, Immigration Reform Bulletin, December 2010.

"Immigration in the New Congress," by Stuart Anderson, Immigration Reform Bulletin, November 2010.

"Immigrants and English," by Stuart Anderson, Immigration Reform Bulletin, October 2010.

"Let's Not Blame Immigrants for High Unemployment Rates," by Stuart Anderson, Immigration Reform Bulletin, September 2010.

[View more Articles and Newsletters]

Opinion and Commentary

"GOP Candidates Betray the Spirit of Reagan on Immigration," by Daniel Griswold, National Review (Online), January 3, 2012

"Give Us Your Engineers, Yearning to Innovate," by Daniel Griswold, Washington Times, November 2, 2011

"Illegal Immigrant Crackdown Would Backfire on Pa.," by Daniel Griswold, Patriot-News, September 18, 2011

"America's Illegal Pioneers," by Timothy B. Lee, Forbes.com, September 13, 2011

"9/11 Tested America's Openness to Trade and Immigration," by Daniel Griswold, Daily Caller, September 8, 2011

[View more Opinion and Commentary]

Events

"Immigration Reform, Yes; E-Verify, No," July 20, 2011 [Capitol Hill Briefing]

"Answering the Critics of Comprehensive Immigration Reform," May 20, 2011 [Capitol Hill Briefing]

"Birthright Citizenship and the Battle over Illegal Immigration," October 25, 2010 [Capitol Hill Briefing]

"The Politics and Law of Immigration," July 21, 2010 [Policy Forum]

"Using Work Visas to Control the Border," July 1, 2010 [Capitol Hill Briefing]

[View more Events]




Multimedia

Media Highlights - Radio Ted Galen Carpenter discusses border security on WCAR's The Bonds & Fisher Show (December 6, 2011) [Media Highlights - Radio, 14:05]

Events Borderless Economics: Chinese Sea Turtles, Indian Fridges, and the New Fruits of Global Capitalism featuring Daniel Griswold, Robert Guest and Edward Alden (November 17, 2011) [Events, 47:58]

Media Highlights - TV Juan Carlos Hidalgo on states' rights and immigration laws on WMYA's News 13 (November 1, 2011) [Media Highlights - TV, 03:13]

Media Highlights - Radio Daniel Griswold discusses immigration policy on Univision Radio's The Fernando Espuelas Show (October 27, 2011) [Media Highlights - Radio, 15:16]

Media Highlights - TV Ilya Shapiro discusses immigration on SNN's The Arena with Michael Coren (October 10, 2011) [Media Highlights - TV, 07:06]

[View more Multimedia]